


This is Home

by coffeejunkii



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Clint Needs a Hug, Cuddling & Snuggling, Kid Fic, M/M, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 21:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1793266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeejunkii/pseuds/coffeejunkii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil reveals a few things while putting his and Clint's daughter to bed. He doesn't realize the baby monitor is on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ralkana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralkana/gifts).



> I felt that there should be a C/C fic for Father's Day and Ralkana gave me the perfect prompt.

Phil swears that he will never ever agree to take over a mission again at the last minute. Never again. It always leads to an utter clusterfuck, a near-death experience, and coming home two days later than planned. At least he has the next two days off, both of which he intends to spend with his family. If the Avengers get called out, he's not going to be responsible for his actions.

As the elevator makes its way up the Tower to his and Clint's floor, Phil tugs off his tie and stuffs it into his pocket. At least it isn't late enough for Lucy to be in bed already. Small favors.

JARVIS is kind enough to unlock the door for him when he can't seem to locate his keys, and then he's finally home. The first thing he notices is Clint's smile. He stands just inside the door, which is probably also JARVIS's doing. The second thing that registers with Phil is his baby girl, who's struggling to get out of Clint's arms and into his. He reaches for her and holds her close.

“I've missed you so much, sweetheart,” he mumbles into her soft hair.

Clint clears his throat.

“And you, too.” Phil leans in for a kiss and lets himself be pulled into Clint's arms. He hears Clint take a few quick breaths. “Hey, I'm fine. Really. Sorry if I scared you.” He shifts Lucy so he can get an arm around Clint as well. 

“Wasn't so much you but the lack of communication. You'd think I'd be used to it, but...”

“It's different now.”

“Yeah.”

Not that they hadn't worried about each other before Lucy. But the prospect of one of them not coming home seems even bleaker since they adopted their little girl.

Clint pulls away first. “Enough with the introspection. I'm glad you're back. We've missed you.”

“Thanks for all the pictures you sent. They were great.” Clint documented his days with Lucy, which made the grueling op easier to bear. At least until they entered a valley that cut them off from all cell reception.

“Do you want to put her to bed?” Clint brushes a hand over Lucy's hair. She lets out a happy gurgle.

“I'd love to.” Phil heads toward the bedroom. He wants to get out his suit. “Take her?”

“Sure.” Clint gathers Lucy from Phil and sits down in the middle of the bed, laying her on the comforter. “Bedtime's been a little bit of a struggle, just as a fair warning.”

“Oh?” Phil hangs up his pants and jacket; his shirt goes into the hamper. He reaches for sweatpants and a T-shirt, grateful to wear comfortable clothes again.

“Yeah. Maybe she just missed you.” Clint makes silly faces at Lucy, who bats her arms at him, trying to grasp his nose. “I've definitely missed falling asleep with you.”

Phil's chest tightens. That may have been the hardest part for him, too. They often spend their days apart, but see each other most nights. Phil sits behind Clint. He wraps an arm around his waist and nuzzles him. “I'm here now.”

Clint leans back against Phil. “Hmm.”

“Did I miss anything?” Phil rubs over Lucy's belly, which makes her giggle. He shouldn't encourage her to be more alert considering that it's bedtime, but he's missed her laugh.

“A rather impressive disapproval of pureed carrots. I spent at least half an hour wiping down everything in the kitchen. JARVIS even asked if we needed assistance because Lucy was making noises that I've never heard from her before.”

If Phil's honest, he's glad he missed that. Lucy's a good baby, for the most part, but when she gets worked up about something, it takes her a long time to calm down. “Okay, no carrots.”

“Wouldn't recommend it, no.”

Phil stands. “Time to get this show on the road.” He picks up Lucy. Turning to Clint, he says, “Have you eaten?”

Clint flops back on the bed. “Had a snack earlier with her. Do you want me to order food?”

“Please. Anything. I want real food after MREs for a week.”

Clint already has his phone out. “Pizza it is.”

Phil hears Clint placing their usual order as he carries Lucy to her room. “Let's see if we can beat your insomnia, hmm?” He grabs her favorite stuffed bunny from her bed before settling into the enormous rocking chair that was a gift from Thor. “Look, Mr. Bunny is really tired, too. So sleepy.”

Lucy tucks the bunny close to her, stuffing one of his ears into her mouth.

“Mmm, bunny ears, very tasty.” Phil settles her against his chest. He pushes a foot against the floor to start rocking. Hopefully he won't fall asleep before she does. “Did you and Daddy have lots of fun this past week? I bet you did. I know Natasha went to the park with you two.” They'd tried “Aunt Natasha” once, but the glare they received quickly dissuaded them from ever referring to her that way again. “Uncle Steve watched you when Daddy had to go to work, right? Much better than hanging out on the range with lots of arrows flying around.”

Lucy babbles something in return.

“Yeah, that's right. Arrows are bad for little girls. But Daddy knows that. He knows how to take good care of you even if he sometimes thinks he doesn't. The night before you came to live with us he was so nervous that he couldn't sleep. He was so worried that he'd mess up somehow. But I always knew that he'd be the best daddy because he already loved you then and he loves you even more now.”

Lucy lets out a yawn.

“Yeah, I know, I need to shut up and let you sleep.” Phil settles a hand on her back and starts humming. 

She falls asleep quickly enough. Phil lowers her into her bed and bends down to kiss her hair. “Sweet dreams.”

When he straightens, he sees Clint stand in the doorway. His face is obscured by shadows. “Pizza's gonna be here soon,” he mumbles.

“Okay. She's asleep.” Phil plugs in the nightlight. He smiles when the small shield lights up in red, white, and blue. With a last look at Lucy, he walks over to Clint. He's about to move past him into the hallway when he catches sight of Clint's eyes, which look red. “Everything okay?”

Clint nods and ushers them out of Lucy's room so that he can pull the door nearly close. He won't look at Phil, setting off toward the living room.

“Wait.” Phil catches Clint's wrist. “Did something happen?”

“I—I heard you talk. The baby monitor was on.”

“You heard me talk to Lucy?” Phil's a little embarrassed that Clint overheard all those sappy things, but he can't see what might have upset him.

“Yeah.” Clint finally meets his eyes. “Did you mean what you said?”

It's obvious now that Clint cried only a little while ago. It worries Phil. Clint doesn't cry easily or very often. “Which part?”

“That you knew I'd be a good father.” Clint's voice is so low that it's almost a whisper.

“Of course I meant that.” Phil gathers Clint close. “You're wonderful with her.”

Clint's head drops to Phil's shoulder. “Sometimes I still feel like I don't know what the fuck I'm doing.”

“So do I. That's normal.”

“It's just—it's so easy to screw this up. I don't want to screw her up.”

Phil pulls Clint closer. He knows where these thoughts come from, and he can even understand why Clint has these fears. “You won't. I promise that you won't.”

“How'd'you know that?”

Phil smiles. He doesn't have to think about this answer. “Because you're a good man.”

Clint lets out a bitten-off sob. His fingers tighten in Phil's T-shirt. Phil holds him, soothing a hand over his nape and down his back. He didn't mean to make Clint cry, but he doesn't regret telling Clint. He's glad that Clint listened over the baby monitor. He needed to hear that—all the things that are so obvious to Phil, but that Clint doesn't know with the same bone-deep certainty.

He closes his eyes, relishing the feel of Clint in his arms. Clint's been home to him for a long time now, and he always counts himself lucky when he gets to return to him.

Clint pulls out of the embrace. He wipes the back of his hands over his eyes. “Sorry.”

Phil wishes Clint wouldn't apologize, but he understands the impulse. Their jobs require them to keep their feelings locked up tightly. It can be difficult to let go of that, even when they're not on the clock. “It's okay. It's just you and me here.”

Clint looks at him with bright eyes. “Right. Yeah.”

Phil wipes a thumb across his cheek and kisses him, slow and deep. He savors the heat that builds between them and curses the doorbell when it interrupts them right as Clint's hips start pushing against his. “Pizza. C'mon.”

Clint steals another kiss. “But sex later?”

Phil snorts. “Yeah. Sex later.”


End file.
